Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish
Melanotaenia praecox
Melanotaeniidae
About
The dwarf neon rainbowfish is a compact, shimmering member of the rainbowfish family, endemic to the Mamberamo River system of northern West Papua, New Guinea. Males glow an electric neon blue with fiery red-orange fins, while females stay silvery with yellowish fins, and both intensify in colour when displaying. It is an active, peaceful open-water shoaler that reaches around 6 to 7 cm and shows its best colours and behaviour in a well-planted, roomy tank kept in a decent-sized group.
Care
Keep a shoal of 6+ (ideally with more females than males) in a long, planted tank of 90 L or more, with a secure lid, some flow and open swimming space. Hardy but appreciates clean, well-oxygenated water and prefers neutral to slightly hard conditions.
Diet
Eager, unfussy omnivore. Feed varied dry foods daily and supplement often with frozen or live daphnia, cyclops, bloodworm and brine shrimp for peak colour.
Tankmate compatibility
Gets along with (16)
Possible with care (84)
Avoid (9)
Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.